Board of Directors Blog

Looking back on my 15 years as a member and volunteer with The Mountaineers, I can’t help but think about the fulfillment I’ve gained from being part of this amazing community. From leading trips and courses to serving as an activity leader and Board member, the journey has been incredibly rewarding. As a volunteer leader, I’ve enjoyed researching routes and trip reports, doing the planning, and then getting out with old and new friends. Yet, with the growing popularity of outdoor recreation, we’re also facing new challenges, particularly when it comes to navigating the complicated permitting process required to access many of our cherished public lands. Read more…

Each year, we host an annual meeting for our members to learn more about the organization's state of affairs from staff and board members. Join us to celebrate 2024 fiscal year highlights, preview 2025, learn more about our strategic priorities, and have the opportunity to ask questions of our leaders. 

This year's annual meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday, October 29 from 6-7:30pm.  Read more…

Looking for an opportunity to provide leadership for your branch’s vision and goals? Interested in offering key support for the Seattle Branch’s most dedicated volunteers? Ready to assume a Board of Directors position and serve as a liaison for The Mountaineers largest branch? Consider serving as Chair-Elect or as Branch Board of Directors Representative. Read more…

When my husband and I moved to Seattle from India, we thought we would stay here for about five years, then go back home. But a friend introduced us to The Mountaineers, and now 20 years have gone by. The Pacific Northwest has become our home thanks in large part to this Mountaineers community that embraced us and made us feel that we belong. Read more…

In a continued pursuit of a safe, welcoming, and inclusive culture, the Board of Directors launched a new Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault (SHSA) Prevention Advisory Committee in December 2023. This is an ad hoc advisory committee chartered to develop recommended near-term and long-term improvements to our bylaws, behavior policies, and operational procedures to address the risk of sexual harassment and/or sexual assault of our members. The committee is charged with defining and understanding the risks of sexual harassment & sexual assault within The Mountaineers, identifying ways to prevent these behaviors, and identifying ways to respond to these behaviors. Read more…

We’re excited to once again be calling for nominations for individuals to join our Board of Directors, and new this year we are also seeking individuals to join as part of our branch leadership. Our open nominations process is rooted in our core values and ensures we bring forward an excellent and diverse slate of candidates to be elected by membership. Nominations are due by June 21, 2024. Read more…

Each year, we host an annual meeting for our members to learn more about the organization's state of affairs from staff and board members. Join us to celebrate 2023 fiscal year highlights, preview 2024, learn more about our strategic priorities, and have the opportunity to ask questions of our leaders.  Read more…

We're pleased to present you with the outcome of the 2023 Board & Branch elections, and we're grateful to everyone who participated by voting and accepting a nomination. Your participation shows a deep commitment to the organization, and this year, we saw over 1,100 votes. Read more…

As a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led organization, The Mountaineers depends on the generosity, initiative, and leadership of our volunteers to steward the future of our organization. We are humbled by the service provided by Board and branch directors whose positions are confirmed by members each year. Thank you for all you do as members to elevate our mission, and for your participation in the forthcoming election process for these organization-wide leaders. Read more…

Last week we shared the disappointing news that the Keta Legacy Foundation (Keta) took steps to restrict our access to the Kitsap Forest Theater by installing locks on the access road and a parking area, threatening the opening of our production of The Sound of Music and potentially our entire 100th anniversary season. The Mountaineers filed an emergency motion in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order to regain access to the theater. This morning our motion was granted. The court  ruled in our favor, barring Keta from interfering with our historical access to the theater during the production season. A copy of the court’s order can be found here. The show will go on!  Read more…

In a disappointing move, Keta Legacy Foundation took steps this week to restrict access to the Kitsap Forest Theater, which may force The Mountaineers to cancel upcoming productions of The Sound of Music. On May 17, just days before final rehearsals and set-building work for opening night of The Sound of Music, Keta locked The Mountaineers Players out from the backstage area at the Theater. This area has been continually accessed by The Mountaineers for nearly 40 years over easements crossing several parcels of property and the Rhododendron Preserve. Keta also barred access to a parking area that is essential to accommodate guests – particularly elderly guests and those with disabilities. Keta has been aware, and was again reminded of, the vital importance of this access and the troubling impact its restriction would have on persons with limited mobility, as well as productions as a whole. Read more…

We’re excited to once again be calling for nominations for individuals to join our Board of Directors. Our goal is for our Board to represent the communities we currently serve and those we wish to serve, and we have been successful in diversifying the perspectives and lived experiences of our Board in the last few years. Read more…

We're pleased to present you with the outcome of the 2022 Board & Branch elections, and we're grateful to everyone who participated by voting and accepting a nomination. Your participation shows a deep commitment to the organization, and this year, we saw over 1,300 votes. Read more…

As a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led organization, The Mountaineers depend on the generosity, initiative, and leadership of our volunteers to steward the future of our organization. We are humbled by the service provided by board and branch directors whose positions are confirmed by members each year. Thank you for all you do as members to elevate our mission, and for your participation in the forthcoming election process for these organization-wide leaders. Read more…

Each year, we host an annual meeting for our members to share a retroactive tour of our last fiscal year. Members are invited to join virtually to hear about how The Mountaineers is doing, learn more about our strategic planning process and upcoming focus sessions, have the opportunity to ask questions of our leaders. Per our bylaws, the Annual Meeting also allows Mountaineers members to make At-Large Director nominations from the floor for the 2022 election season. Here's the recording from September 13, 2022. Read more…

In 2021, The Mountaineers began to utilize a new process for discovering potential candidates for open at-large positions on our Board of Directors. This new open nominations process was very successful, resulting in more than 20 nominees from across the organization. Feedback from applicants and the community at large about the new process was overwhelmingly positive. Members appreciated the transparency, rigor, and excellent results that it delivered.  Read more…

As a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led organization, we depend on the generosity and leadership of our volunteers to foster a community based around education, conservation, adventure, and belonging. We are humbled by the service of our board of directors who are responsible for determining the future direction of our organization, controlling finances, making rules, and determining policy for property and programs, among other things. In March 2022, we welcomed a new slate of officers to our Board of Directors, and I’m excited to introduce you to them today. Read more…

Norm Winn, a legendary outdoor advocate and former Mountaineers President, passed away on December 31, 2021. Norm served as President from 1975-1977, during which time he lobbied Congress with Washington State Governor Dan Evans to help to create the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. He also served on our Conservation Division for 25-years, and leaves behind a long legacy of advocacy for the outdoor experience. He was 82. Read more…

Two years ago, Keta Legacy Foundation (Keta) filed a lawsuit against The Mountaineers. Keta sued The Mountaineers, claiming they had superior rights in our name, which we had previously authorized Keta to use as the “Mountaineers Foundation.” In addition to wanting to continue to trade on our name to capture donations, Keta also seeks to prevent us from using our own name – The Mountaineers – to raise funds for charitable purposes. Read more…

We're pleased to present you with the outcome of the 2021 Board & Branch elections, and we're grateful to everyone who participated by voting and accepting a nomination. Your participation shows a deep commitment to the organization, and this year, we saw over 1,700 votes.  Read more…

As a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led organization, The Mountaineers depend on the generosity, initiative, and leadership of our volunteers. We are humbled by the service provided by board and branch directors whose positions are confirmed by members each year. Thank you for all you do as members to elevate our mission, and for your participation in the election process for these organization-wide leaders! Read more…

Each year, we host an annual meeting for our members to share a retroactive tour of our last fiscal year. Learn about our state of affairs from our board members and staff, hear about Governance Committee and Board nominations for At-Large Directors, and have the opportunity to ask questions of our leaders. Per our bylaws, the Annual Meeting also allows members of The Mountaineers to make At-Large Director nominations from the floor for the 2021 election season. We held the session virtually on September 14, 2021, and you can watch the recording here. Read more…

More than two months ago, I shared an update summarizing our efforts to amicably resolve the lawsuit that Keta Legacy Foundation filed against The Mountaineers in September 2019. In an effort to be transparent with our community, we shared the proposed settlement agreement that we sent to Keta. I received a number of messages from Mountaineers members expressing their appreciation for being kept informed about the lawsuit and that the proposal itself seemed like a very reasonable way to resolve this dispute. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we believe a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. We aspire to offer outdoor opportunities for ALL, and in order to realize this aspiration we are launching a new board nominations process to help us discover potential and qualified board members. We are looking for members with a passion for The Mountaineers who bring a diversity of experience, skills, and expertise to successfully lead our organization, especially during these challenging social and economic times.  Read more…

For almost six years, The Mountaineers has been a proud member of Outdoor Alliance, a nonprofit organization that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts in order to protect the human-powered outdoor recreation experience and conserve America’s public lands. Our membership in Outdoor Alliance amplifies our ability to weigh in on national policy issues and bring regional issues to national attention. Read more…

We're pleased to present you with the outcome of the 2020 Board & Branch elections, and we're grateful to everyone who participated by voting and accepting a nomination. Your participation shows a deep commitment to the organization, and this year, we saw a +24% increase in member voting with 1,871 votes.   Read more…

As a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led organization, The Mountaineers continues to depend on the generosity, initiative, and leadership of our volunteers. We are humbled by the service provided by board and branch directors whose positions are confirmed by members each year. Thank you for all you do as members to elevate our mission, and your participation in the election process for these organization-wide leaders!  Read more…

Each year, we host an annual meeting for our members to share a retroactive tour of our last fiscal year. Learn about our state of affairs from our board members and staff, hear about Governance Committee and Board nominations for At-Large Directors, and have the opportunity to ask questions of our leaders. Per our bylaws, the Annual Meeting also allows The Mountaineers Membership to make At-Large Director nominations from the floor for the 2020 election season. Join us virtually on September 15, 2020. Read more…

Eighteen years after his first attempt to reach the summit of Link Sar, Steve Swenson, legendary alpinist, Mountaineers Board Director, Mountaineers Books author, and past president of the American Alpine Club, finally stood atop the notoriously technical peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram. He was joined by alpinists Mark Richey, 61; expedition leader Graham Zimmerman, 33; and Chris Wright, 36. “The climbers succeeded because they were persistent, used their 126 years of combined climbing experience, and understood what partnership meant,” and for this they are being awarded the prestigious 2020 Piolet d’Or. Read more…

The Mountaineers Board of Directors is the ultimate governing body responsible for overseeing the organization as dictated by our bylaws. This includes setting the strategic plan, approving the budget and tracking organizational financial performance, hiring the CEO, electing the board’s officers, and setting organizational policies and procedures. The board works with the CEO and staff to set the overall direction for the organization through the strategic plan (e.g., Vision 2022). The board also reviews and approves the annual budget and reviews performance to that budget. Read more…